Makai Tenshou

I knew nothing about Makai Tenshou except that a lot of people who had seen it were either disappointed because they thought it was a sequel to Ninja Scroll, or disturbed by the amount of violence and gore they had to endure in just two 35 minute episodes. Given that it only comprises of two episodes, I was expecting a short, straightforward and rushed story, like Curse of the Yoma or something, and that would have been perfect if that had been the case. Seems to me like they had more episodes planned but the reception was just so bad that they didn't ... even bother to keep going.

Now, that doesn't mean Makai Tenshou, or Ninja Resurrection, is not....enjoyable. I enjoyed myself, although I admit I could have chosen something better to waste my limited free time. The story is decent, not great, but not bad, but I like cultural-religious period pieces so the base of the story revolved around the Tokugawa and the rise in Christianity appealed to me. Add some ninjas and supernatural forces and you've got a promising plot, right? Well, maybe you could have had the series not ended right when ish was about the hit the fan. I was actually interested in what might had happened between Jubei and Shiro, and wondered how other introduced problems and suspicions related the the whole.

The art was okay. If you're not accustomed to earlier anime from the mid/late 90s then the art may not appeal to you, but I grew up with 90s anime so it was all very natsukashii. The animation was smooth and the fight scenes didn't look choppy or awkward.

If you like gore and dismemberment, you'll get more than enough. I've definitely seen worse in other anime, like Genocyber and Corpse Party, but I can see why some viewers found it disturbing or uncomfortable. There are a few scenes that made me say "What the....did it have to be done that way???". If you watch it, you'll see for yourself, I don't want to ruin the surprise.....but there is rape, as a forewarning.

The music is whatever, I don't pay much attention to background music, but it was typical for a Feudal Era anime with all the brass instruments and short but quick notes. Don't expect any traditional inspired intro or outro.

I can't say much for characterization because you don't get to know anyone. You learn about Jubei a bit, you get an idea of whats going on with Shiro and his followers, and you are suddenly introduced to some new characters who seem interesting but cliche. Like I said...had there been more episodes, who knows....

Overall, I gave Makai Tenshou a 5. I expected something REALLY bad and awful, but after watching it, knowing that it is NOT related to Ninja Scroll, I was surprised that I was able to stomach it and actually wonder. It's not great, but it's not so horrible either. I suspect so many bad reviews came from high expections, and maybe because mine were so low that I found it mildly enjoyable.

So, if you like ninjas, blood, intestines, and have problems with commitment, have a good, or bad, time with this one.